Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312688898 - Citibank, N.A.

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

At around 5:30 p.m. on April 19, 2010, Employee #1, a bank teller, was assigned to close and lock the door to the bank's vault, a task she completed as part of her regular duties. The vault door was approximately five feet wide, eight feet tall and one foot thick, and weighs at least several hundred pounds. Because of the weight of the door, it was somewhat difficult to put the door into motion and, once it began to swing, it was somewhat difficult to stop. The vault door had two metal handles on its front: one was a round handle that looks similar to the spoked steering wheel of a ship; the other was a straight handle about one foot long that runs vertically close to the edge of the door. Employees would grip these handles when opening or closing the door so that their hands do not come near the pinch point created by the door and door jamb. However, Employee #1 grasped the edge of the vault door with her right hand to push it closed. Employee #1 failed to pull her hand away from the door when it closed, resulting in serious lacerations to the index and middle fingers of her right hand. No Serious, Accident-Related citation was issued because the Division could not establish the substantial probability that serious injury or death would occur as a result of an accident involving the vault door. However, the Division issued one general citation alleging a violation of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. As a result of the lack of training, Employee #1 failed to keep her hands on the door handles and away from the door's pinch point while closing the vault door, resulting in her serious injury. The San Francisco Fire Department reported the injury accident at 6:04 p.m. on April 19, 2010. The employer did not report the serious injury, but a Division representative made contact with the employer before employer's statutory duty to report arose. Employee #1 was taken by ambulance to California Pacific Medical Center, where she remained until the morning of April 23, 2010. The employer is a bank with branches nationwide, including the San Francisco branch where Employee #1 was injured.

Keywords: FINGER, LACERATION, NIP POINT, DOOR, HAND